Did an accident in Marietta, GA leave you with a spinal cord injury? At Johnson & Alday, LLC, we help injured clients in Marietta pursue full recovery in spinal cord injury matters.
If you were paralyzed or partly paralyzed in a wreck, a fall, or an accident at work, you may be learning to use a wheelchair while bills from the trauma center and the rehabilitation hospital accumulate. Your family may be rearranging jobs and a home around your care. Our Marietta, GA spinal cord injury lawyer can take over the claim against the person or company responsible. At Johnson & Alday, LLC, we have represented seriously injured people for 40 years. Schedule a free consultation with us today.
Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer Marietta, GA
Our Marietta spinal cord injury lawyer handles injury claims in which trauma to the spine has caused paralysis, weakness, or loss of sensation. A complete injury blocks all signals below the damaged area, and an incomplete injury leaves some movement or feeling. The lawyer must show both who caused the injury and what a lifetime with it will cost.
Serious injury crashes on Cobb County roads rose from 187 in 2018 to 384 in 2021, according to the county’s safety plan. Marietta is the county seat, and several of the county’s busiest roads meet here. Our Marietta spinal cord injury attorneys handle the investigation, the medical proof, and the negotiation with every insurer involved.
Types of Spinal Cord Injury Cases We Handle in Marietta
Most spinal cord injuries result from sudden, forceful trauma. CDC transportation data counted more than 2.8 million emergency department visits for crash injuries in 2023, and vehicle crashes lead the Reeve Foundation list of spinal cord injury causes, ahead of falls, violence, and sports. Each mechanism of injury points to different defendants and insurance.
- Head-on collisions. The combined speed of two vehicles places extreme force on the neck and upper back. These crashes often involve a wrong-way, impaired, or drowsy driver, and we investigate that driver’s conduct in the hours before impact.
- Rear-end collisions. A hard rear impact snaps the neck forward and back, and it can fracture cervical vertebrae or push a disc into the spinal cord. Insurers tend to treat these as minor crashes. Imaging and physician testimony prove otherwise.
- T-bone accidents. A side impact gives the occupant little protection, and the lateral force can twist or compress the spine. Liability usually depends on who had the signal, so we look for intersection cameras and witnesses.
- Truck accidents. A collision with a tractor-trailer can crush the passenger compartment of a smaller vehicle. We send preservation letters to the carrier for its logs, inspection records, and onboard data.
- Motorcycle accidents. The county plan counted 210 serious injuries in motorcycle crashes from 2018 through 2022. A rider who is thrown from the bike has no protection for the back or neck.
- Bicycle accidents. A cyclist hit from behind or by a turning vehicle often lands on the head or back. We establish whether the driver failed to yield or passed too closely.
- Work injuries. Falls from ladders, scaffolds, and roofs injure the spine, and so does heavy equipment. Our Marietta spinal cord injury lawyers evaluate the workers’ compensation claim and any claim against an outside contractor or manufacturer.
- Falls on unsafe property. A fall on stairs, a broken walkway, or an unmarked wet floor can damage the spinal cord, particularly in older adults. The owner or manager of the property may be responsible.
Why Choose Johnson & Alday, LLC as my Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer in Marietta, GA?
Attorneys With Roots in Marietta
Bobby Johnson lives in Marietta with his family and has been a Cobb County resident for more than 30 years. He was a member of the Leadership Cobb Class of 2023. John Alday worked in the Cobb County State Court as staff attorney to its chief judge. He holds a law degree from the University of Georgia, where he graduated cum laude. Both attorneys appear on the Super Lawyers list, and Bobby is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell.
Insurance Defense Background and Proven Results
Before representing injured people, Bobby defended employers and insurers, and John was an attorney at a defense firm retained by a major national insurer. They have since recovered millions of dollars for injured clients, including multiple six-figure jury verdicts. Bobby’s memberships include the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association. Clients pay nothing up front, because our contingency fee is collected only from a recovery. Our personal injury lawyer in Marietta, GA understands that a person with paralysis needs lifelong care costs, and we build each case around that number.
Understanding Spinal Cord Injury Cases
Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Spinal Cord Injury Cases
Compensation in a spinal cord case falls into categories under Georgia law. Economic damages repay measurable financial losses, and non-economic damages compensate for harm that cannot be measured by a bill.
- Economic damages include hospital and rehabilitation charges, future medical care, in-home assistance, adaptive equipment, and lost earnings.
- Non-economic damages include physical pain, emotional distress, and the loss of activities the person can no longer enjoy.
- Punitive damages may be available when the defendant acted with conscious indifference to the consequences, as an intoxicated driver does.
Grants from Georgia’s Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund, which is financed by a surcharge on drunk driving fines, can help with rehabilitation costs, but the grants are limited.
Our Marietta spinal cord injury lawyer must prove negligence before any defendant is liable. Georgia also compares fault. Under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33, an injured person who is 50 percent or more responsible recovers nothing, and half the blame is therefore the line every insurer tries to reach. A smaller share reduces the award in proportion.
What Are Important Aspects of a Spinal Cord Injury Case?
Certain issues arise in nearly every spinal cord injury case, and our Marietta spinal cord injury attorney should address them early.
- The medical picture changes over time. NINDS reports that about one-third of people with these injuries need temporary or permanent help with breathing, and treating physicians must document needs of that kind.
- Other injuries are common. A spinal cord injury can occur together with a brain injury or other catastrophic injuries, and each one must be evaluated before the claim is valued.
- Insurance limits may be too low. We look for additional defendants, umbrella policies, and underinsured motorist coverage.
- An early offer does not reflect future costs, which is why accepting the first settlement offer can leave a person without funds for later care.
- Time is limited. O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33 requires most injury lawsuits to be filed within two years.
What Is The Spinal Cord Injury Case Timeline?
The legal timeline follows the medical one. Our spinal cord injury attorneys do not value a claim until the treating doctors can state a long-term prognosis.
- In the first days, the patient is treated at a hospital such as Wellstar Kennestone in Marietta, a Level I trauma center. We notify insurers and preserve evidence at this stage.
- During rehabilitation, we collect records and track expenses. Shepherd Center states that patients in its spinal cord injury rehabilitation program receive three to five hours of therapy each day.
- After discharge, physicians and life care planners estimate future needs, and an economist calculates lost earnings.
- Once those figures are complete, we present a demand and negotiate.
- If the insurer refuses a fair figure, we file suit and prepare the case for trial.
What Should You Bring to Your Spinal Cord Injury Consultation?
The first meeting with our Marietta spinal cord injury attorney goes further when we can see a few key documents.
- The accident report and any photographs or video of the scene help us reconstruct the event.
- Medical records you have received tell us the diagnosis and the names of your surgeons and rehabilitation providers.
- Every insurance policy in the household is relevant, because more than one may provide coverage.
Most Dangerous Locations for Spinal Cord Injuries in Marietta, GA
High-speed crashes and intersection crashes cause much of the spinal trauma we see in injury claims. Our review of dangerous Marietta intersections describes several locations.
- Cobb Parkway at Windy Hill Road combines high speeds with frequent left turns.
- Cobb Parkway at Barrett Parkway has heavy congestion and sudden stops, which lead to rear-end and side-impact crashes.
- Bells Ferry Road at Chastain Road has lane shifts and turning traffic that confuse unfamiliar drivers.
Two interstates carry traffic through and around the city.
- Interstate 75 crosses Marietta with interchanges at Delk Road and at the North and South Marietta Parkway, where traffic merges at highway speed.
- Interstate 575 branches from Interstate 75 north of the city and carries commuters toward Cherokee County.
Reach Out to Johnson & Alday, LLC to Schedule a Consultation
If a spinal cord injury has changed your life, speak with our Marietta spinal cord injury attorney about your options. The consultation is at no cost, and we accept no attorney fees unless we recover money for you. In that first conversation, we will ask how the injury happened and what treatment you have received so far. Contact us to set up a consultation time.